Student Perspectives
Most of our international students have had wonderful experiences at Otterbein. Here are a few student perspectives we would like to share with you.
"I fell in love with Otterbein at first sight. It had been a dream school for me for a long time, since my very first visit. When the dream came true, and I became an Otterbein student, it appeared to be the most wonderful experience in my life. Most of all I was impressed by the friendly and academically challenging atmosphere created by the Otterbein community, both faculty and students. As a foreign exchange student, I really appreciate the diversity of population in the school. Everybody here can make a difference, and there are so many opportunities to reveal oneself.
Everybody at Otterbein is viewed as an individual. There are more than 70 international students at Otterbein and sometimes I feel as if I have come to study in a miniature yet complete world. Never in my entire life had I imagined that my best friends in college would be students from Ghana, Turkey, France, Brazil, etc. It is so much fun to share our life experiences with each other. Our opinions could be very different, yet we are so much alike. We encourage and support each other all the time. I am very happy to be a part of the Otterbein community."
Angelina Poltavets, Ukraine
English major
"Otterbein has helped me a lot. I've learned a lot from different people at Otterbein."
Jun has a very positive attitude; he finds everything around him a great learning opportunity. He also thinks being a student at Otterbein provides a better environment for practicing English because Otterbein does not have a large number of Korean students.
Jun Lee, Korea
Business major
Ioulia goes by Julie - she was an exchange student in a high school in Oregon. Her good friend from Russia also goes to Otterbein.
"When I was first introduced to a college in the U.S., I was still a student in Oregon and I thought I was at an airport. It was like an airport because there were many people from different cultural backgrounds. They seemed to be so carefree."
She decided she wanted to go to a college in the U.S.
"I wasn't sure if I would stay at Otterbein when I was accepted to come here. I was planning to transfer somewhere else if I didn't like it. But it turned out that Otterbein has been a great experience for me and I want to stay until I graduate."
She especially loves our Integratives Studies programs where she is exposed to different academic disciplines.
Ioulia Gourianova, Russia
Business major
"I like Otterbein a lot. I have more contact with professors and there are a lot of opportunities at Otterbein."
Flavia became an exchange student through the "Youth for Understanding" Exchange Program. She fell in love with the U.S. when she first arrived in America. She said it would have been a lot harder to matriculate to a college in Brazil.
Flavia Santos, Brazil
Life Science major
Aylin was an exchange student in Westerville, Ohio and Otterbein was her first choice. She enjoys being a student here very much and she has made quite a few friends with both American and international students.
"My professor let me call him at home!"
She said this is not possible in Turkey and she doesn't think professors in any Turkish college would like that idea.
Aylin Ozeren, Turkey
International Business major
|
